The Narutimate Lantern
by Egghead
Summary: Summary: The Blackest Night has come to the Elemental Countries and only those chosen to bear the lights of the emotional spectrum can combat the coming darkness. Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Green Lantern or any of their characters, ok?
1. First Flight

**The Narutimate Lantern**

**(Summary: The prophecy of the Brightest Day and the Blackest Night has come to the Elemental countries and only those chosen to bear the powers of the emotional spectrum can combat the great evil that's coming. Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Green Lantern though I wish I did)**

**Chapter 1: First Flight**

It felt wrong.

Even though Iruka Sensei had practically ordered him to escape with the Forbidden Scroll, Naruto knew in his heart that he shouldn't have left his surrogate father to deal with a psycho like Mizuki.

And yet he left him anyways. Why?

Was he simply following orders? Or was he just truly scared of what Mizuki might do to him? After all, the man was a chunin and that much more skilled then him.

And then, there was the traitor's revelation that he was Kyuubi No Kitsune's jinchuuriki which threw him for a loop. Maybe he was also scared of what might happen if he ever lost himself and allowed Kyuubi to take over. He would probably destroy anything AND everything in his path, INCLUDING people whom he held dear in his heart. At this point, Naruto had stopped running as he thought about what he was going to do.

"This isn't like me." Naruto mutters to himself. "How can I be the Hokage if I let that traitor scare me with what he said? So what if I have Kyuubi sealed into me? Screw anyone who can't deal with that and I'll be damned if I let that thing control my life."

Naruto then turns around and starts running back to where he left Mizuki and Iruka. "I need to go back. I need to help Iruka Sensei." He said resolutely. But before he can go any further, something erupts from the ground in front of him, prompting the blonde to jump back in a defensive position.

"What the hell is that?" Naruto wonders as he stares at what seemed to be a strange, green colored lantern floating in front of him. A few moments later, a glowing ring emerges from the lantern and flies towards him. Instinctively, Naruto reaches out and allows it to slip into the middle finger of his right hand.

_"Uzumaki Naruto of Earth. You have manifested the ability to overcome great fear. Welcome to the Green Lantern Corps. Now recite the oath." _A voice spoke in his head. At the same time, Naruto somehow gains knowledge of what to do and instinctively points the ring on his hand on the strange lantern's opening while reciting the oath.

"In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight, let those who worship evil's might, beware my power... Green Lantern's light!" As Naruto finished reciting the oath, he suddenly found himself floating in a stark, white space. And floating in the middle of the space was a brown haired, masked figure wearing green and black armor (modified Parallax armor w/o the cape) with a lantern like insignia on his chest.

The green armored figure who seemed to be waiting for something, smiled at Naruto.

"Greetings. My name is Hal Jordan and I'm the Lantern Prime of the Green Lantern Corps which is a intergalactic police force tasked to maintain peace and dispense justice wherever needed in the universe." The figure identified itself. "If you're seeing this recording, then the ring has deemed you worthy enough to wield it's power so congratulations and welcome to the Green Lantern Corps."

The Lantern Prime's features then turns grim at his next words. "But, it also means that I have to tell you the real reason why the ring even exists in your world. While we normally do not interfere in another world's culture, circumstances have forced us to suspend our law of non-interferance for the greater good.

The elder Lantern pauses as if to collect his thoughts before continuing. "The reason for this is an ancient prophecy from the Book Of Oa which essentially speaks of the end of all life as we know it. An ordeal known as the Blackest Night. Though I am forbidden to tell you the full details of what will transpire during the Blackest Night in, I can say that the experience took us to our absolute limit before we were able to defeat the source of the darkness."

If possible, Jordan's tone turned even more serious. "Unfortunately, things didn't really end there. Recently, we have uncovered evidence indicating that the Blackest Night phenomenon has spread to other time periods, even to other realities and it's starting to wreck havoc on the space-time continum."

"So me and the other guardians decided to send rings like the one you wear to different time periods and realities in order to combat the effects of the Blackest Night and prevent any more damage to the continuum. Each of these rings represent a color of the emotional spectrum. Green for will, yellow for fear, red for rage, blue for hope, orange for greed, indigo for compassion and violet for love. Each has it's own special ability and respond to the emotional spectrum it was assigned to."

Jordan points to Naruto's ring. "Your ring is powered and at the same time limited by the strength of your will and imagination. In short, it has the potential to do almost anything if you've got the willpower and imagination to do it."

"But the power you wield also comes with the responsibility of maintaining peace and justice in your sector, even against other agents of the emotional spectrum. Quite a few of them have been my enemies in the past because they've used the power of their rings for their own selfish gains and I can tell you now, they can be equal or even stronger then you are depending on the strength of their emotion."

At this point, Jordan's face breaks into a smile. "The ring does NOT choose it's wielder randomly though. Every Green Lantern that has been chosen to wield one of those rings have shown great willpower, courage, integrity and strength of character and you're no exception. You may not realize it but you also possess all these qualities within you."

"My time grows short. I have programmed everything you will need to know in the ring's database. Remember what I have told you about the prophecy of the Blackest Night. You may also seek out other ringbearers of the emotional spectrum for assistance though a few may prove to be difficult to deal with. But I have every confidence in your abilities. Good luck new Green Lantern and godspeed." Only when the individual known as Hal Jordan wink out did everything go back to normal. Naruto found himself looking at the ring in his hand while thinking about what the stranger had said.

"Any feat huh?" Naruto mutters before making a decision. He grabs the charging lantern and focused his will on the ring, commanding it to take him to where Iruka and Mizuki were fighting. And before he knew what happened, he was flying through the air at breakneck speed towards their battlesite.

He hoped he wasn't too late.

**(Elsewhere)**

"Why the hell are you protecting the demon Iruka? It killed your parents didn't it? You should be helping me destroy it!" Mizuki shouted as he searched the surrounding forest for the scarred chunin.

"Naruto is NOT a monster Mizuki. He's also just a victim like I am." Iruka shouted back from his hiding place as he nursed the various injuries he sustained during their battle which included a rather deep puncture wound on the back from one of Mizuki's giant shurikens. "You on the other hand, are a traitor. You used Naruto to steal the Forbidden Scroll for you so you can kill him and take it for yourself when you abandon our village!"

"I'm just doing what should have been done years ago. It just so happens that he was a convenient tool in my 'retirement' plan." Mizuki retorted, finally detecting where Iruka was hiding as he unlimbered the huge shuriken on his back. "And I'll finally have a bright future which is more then I can say for you!"

Iruka manages to leap away from the bush he was hiding in to avoid the giant shuriken Mizuki throws at him. But that was just a feint because as soon as he left his cover, the traitorous chunin appears behind Iruka and purposely batters him on his wounded back and knocking him back down to the ground. And as he struggles to prop himself up to better defend himself, Mizuki plants a foot on his chest.

"You're a fool Iruka. We could have had everything in our grasp but you threw it all away when you defended that demon." Mizuki said with a sneer as he drew a kunai.

"And I don't regret that one bit." Iruka said with a bloody smile as a final act of defiance. "Naruto is more of a shinobi then you can ever hope to be and I am proud of the person he has become."

"Then I'll make sure he joins you in hell!" Mizuki said with an insane grin as he holds up his kunai. But before he can do anything, a large, glowing green hand slaps the traitor away from Iruka. The scarred, academy instructor looks to where the attack came from and sees Naruto surrounded by a green glow and floating up in the air.

"Get away from Iruka Sensei, Mizuki Teme." Naruto growls as he placed himself between the silver haired chunin and the wounded Iruka. "You're not doing anything except get locked up for treason."

"Treason? TREASON? I didn't betray the village! The village betrayed ME!" Mizuki ranted. "What has the village done for me lately, huh? I gave it a lifetime of service and what do I get out of it? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! I don't owe this stinkin' village a damned thing for what it HASN'T done for me! A village which lets a monster like you run free doesn't deserve my loyalty so I'm going elsewhere where my talent can be appreciated! And I'll kill ANYONE who tries to stop me!"

But instead of freezing up at someone calling him a monster like Mizuki was banking on, Naruto looked relatively calm,alert and even a little annoyed.

"Is this what it's all about? The damned fox sealed inside of me? If I were really Kyuubi as you say I am, then why haven't I destroyed you or the entire village yet?" Naruto asks.

"You're just biding your time! Waiting for us to let our guard down before you strike!" Mizuki replied contemptously. Naruto shakes his head at the traitor's stubborness.

"Fine! It seems like you don't wanna listen to reason." Naruto said before raising up a hand with a glowing green ring on it. "And since you seem to be so eager to kill Kyuubi, why don't I let him out for you?"

Iruka pales at what Naruto said. While it was true that Mizuki was now a traitor, taking him down didn't neccesitate the releasing of the strongest biju of the Elemental Countries. "Naruto... I don't think that's such a good..."

"Don't worry Iruka Sensei. It'll be alright." Naruto assured his academy instructor. And looking into his student's eyes, Iruka could see the sincerity there and slowly nods his head. Naruto then turns his attention back to Mizuki with a malicious grin on his face. "Say hello to my little friends, teme."

Before Mizuki's horrified eyes, not one but a whole pack of green colored and wolf sized versions of Kyuubi appears all around and starts walking towards him. Screaming in terror, Mizuki tries chucking a large shuriken at the threat but the projectile was simply batted away as the horde of mini Kyuubis continue their advance.

"S-Stay away from m-me! I-I'm warning you..." Mizuki shrieks as he drew a kunai and hysterically starts swinging it around. But instead of backing off, the green Kyuubis leap towards Mizuki, transforms in mid-air into emerald colored versions of Naruto and dogpiles the traitorous chunin while savagely battering him into unconsciousness. Even Iruka had to wince at the beatdown his former colleague was receiving from the emerald Narutos.

"That should teach you NOT to mess with Uzumaki Naruto. Future Hokage." Naruto said to the unconscious Mizuki as he dispelled the constructs made by his ring. He then turns his attention towards Iruka. "Iruka Sensei! Hang in there. I'll get you to the hospital in no time."

"I-I'm fine for the moment Naruto." Iruka said as he sat back in weariness against a tree. "What was that power you used against Mizuki?"

"It's kind of a long story. Maybe we should wait till you're better before I tell you about it Iruka Sensei. We do have to get you some help after all. And I also have to bring Mizuki to ANBU."

Iruka was about to protest but found that he didn't really have the strength to do so. "Fine then. You owe me an explanation. But for now, can you kneel down here for a moment and close your eyes?"

Naruto cocks his head quizzically but complies nonetheless. He could feel his goggles being removed but it was replaced by something else. "Ok. You can open your eyes now." Iruka stated. Opening his eyes, he can see Iruka sans his hiate and when he touches his forehead, he discovers the headband was tied to his own forehead.

"Congratulations Naruto. You've earned the rank of Genin and I'm very proud of you." Iruka said with a wide grin. He soon found himself engulfed by a hug from the blonde jinchuuriki.

"I'm just glad you're ok Iruka Sensei." Naruto sniffled before stepping back and using his ring to surround both men in a protective bubble of green energy with Iruka's having an additional construct which stemmed the flow of blood from his wounds and Mizuki's having shackles to restrain him. "Now let's go drop Mizuki Teme off to ANBU and see a doctor about your injuries. After that, I'm going to go have a little chat with Jiji." And with that, Naruto rockets off with his cargo in tow back to Konoha.

**(Hokage Tower)**

Unknown to the blonde, the Sandaime Hokage had been watching the entire thing using his crystal ball and had been surprised by what he has seen.

"So another ringbearer is born, eh?" Sarutobi mutters to himself. "Granted that it's not his father's ring. But it's still damned impressive." He then frowns as he considers his next move. "If that ring is anything like the one Minato wore, then that means I can't hide anything from him anymore."

The Hokage then retrieves a scroll from his desk and summons an ANBU. "Deliver this message to Hatake Kakashi immediately." The ANBU nods his assent and leaps off to accomplish his task, leaving the old Sandaime to his thoughts as he looks over his village.

"I suppose the time has come reveal everything about his heritage. I just hope he can forgive this old man for keeping it from him all these years."

Author's Notes: Don't worry folks coz I haven't abandoned any of my current stories yet. I've just been having a Green Lantern trip these days, especially with the Blackest Night storyline coz're it's a damned interesting read. So here's the product of my overactive imagination folks and I hope more authors would consider writing fics about it this. I also want your opinion on wether or not I should reveal his identity as a lantern to the public now or much later in the story. As usual, R&R please.


	2. Strength Of My Will

**Chapter 2: Strength Of My Will**

"Crap! I'm late!" Naruto stated as he jumps from roof to roof on his way to the academy. The blonde looked haggard as he was suffering from lack of sleep due to last night's events.

But then again, he doubted anyone would be able to sleep after the bombshell the old Sandaime dropped on him. After all, how many kids got told that their dad was a war hero and the first ringbearer of Konoha?

_**(Flashback)**_

_After dropping off Mizuki to ANBU HQ and bringing Iruka to the hospital, Naruto proceeded to the Hokage tower where he found the Sandaime already waiting for him in his office.__The blonde quickly told him about what happened in the forest, how he came across and earned the ring as well as the ominous words of the Lantern Prime regarding the Blackest Night._

_"I see. That is indeed quite a disturbing prophecy." Sarutobi said after listening to Naruto's story. "And assuming it's all true, then there's six more ringbearers out there assuming those other rings have already found worthy bearers. But what concerns me is that there already existed a ring here in Konoha which this Lantern Prime of yours didn't mention in his briefing._

_"Someone already had a ring like mine here in Konoha?" Naruto asks excitedly. "Who is he? Can I meet him?"_

_"Unfortunately, you cannot Naruto. For he was the one who sealed Kyuubi into you." The Sandaime said sadly._

_Naruto's eyes widens at this. "You mean the Yondaime Hokage was also a ringbearer?"_

_"Yes. But like I said, the ring he wielded does not match any of the color the Lantern Prime mentioned. He wielded a white ring which was quite a powerful weapon in his hands. Unfortunately, the ring vanished when he used it's power to seal Kyuubi away at the expense of his own life."_

_"A white Lantern ring, huh? Yeah. Lantern Prime didn't say anything about that." Naruto said, scratching his head quizzically. "I wonder if it has anything to do with the prophecy he mentioned?"_

_"Only time will tell. So I for the meantime, I believe the most prudent course of action would be to keep the existence of the ring a secret for now and to refrain from using it's power unless necessary. I'll also send a message to Iruka to keep tonight's events under wraps and go see Mizuki myself to wipe his mind of tonight's memories." The Hokage stated._

_"There is also something else you should know about the Yondaime, Naruto. I can't say if you'll hate me for keeping this from you for so long but know that everything I did was to protect you." __Sarutobi said. Looking at the emotions flickering in Naruto's face, he steels himself for what he was about to say next._

_"Naruto. The Yondaime Hokage Namikaze Minato was your father. And your mother was the previous Jinchuuriki, Uzumaki Kushina." The old Hokage revealed. "After Kushina died in childbirth and Kyuubi was somehow released to rampage all over Konoha, Minato decided to seal the biju into you because he couldn't ask anyone else to sacrifice their own child child to carry the burden of being a jinchuuriki. He wanted people to know you were his son and to see you as a hero but we couldn't afford to honor his wishes then. It was decided to keep your heritage a secret to prevent Minato's enemies from attacking us when we were at our weakest."_

_"But that also left you open to scorn and abuse from many people when it was revealed that you were a jinchuuriki. The fault was mine for not forseeing their reaction especially after such an attack by Kyuubi." Unexpectedly, the Hokage then bows at Naruto. "And for that, I beg your forgiveness."_

_The Hokage then felt his head raised by Naruto who gives him a genuine smile._

_"What are you talking about Jiisan? I could never hate you. You've been looking after me all this time and you've never given me any reason to doubt you." Naruto stated. "I understand that you, as Hokage, also have a responsibility to the village and had to consider the greater good. It's enough for me to know that I had parents who mattered and gave their lives to protect those precious to them and I hope I can earn the same respect that they had."_

_"You don't know how happy that makes this old man." Sarutobi said with a relieved smile. "I swear to you Naruto that I will do everything I can to help you until the time comes for you to take your father's name."_

_**(Flashback Ends)**_

Naruto fully intended to take his father's name someday. But not before making people acknowledge him for what he has done and NOT for who he is.

In order to do that, there had to be some changes. He knew that he didn't exactly look like the epitome of the perfect shinobi so he had to take some steps to make himself more respectable.

First to go was the god awful loud orange jumpsuits. He liked the color well enough but not when it was basically screaming out 'Here I am! Kill me now!'. Besides, it was the only thing anyone would sell to him.

A quick modification using his ring's power and now, he had multiple sets of dark rust orange/black tracksuits which still had enough of his favorite color to please him, but subtle enough to be used in stealth. He would have to buy other sets of clothings when he went on missions outside of Konoha where he won't get charged so outrageously.

Secondly, he knew that no self respecting shinobi would resort to pulling the outrageous acts he did in order to garner attention. So he resolved to drastically lessen his prankings... Or at least direct his urge to cause random mayhem in a more productive manner. This also meant that he had to take his duties more seriously.

Both as a shinobi AND as a lantern.

He owed it to his parents because whatever he did reflected on his family and if he did nothing but goof off, he'd dishonor their memory and sacrifice.

Arriving at the academy, he ignored the incredilous looks he was given by some of the adults there and proceeded straight to his classroom where he was greeted by his occasional, class-skipping buddy Kiba.

"Is that you, Naruto? What's with the new getup and why are you here? This class is only for those who passed the exams dude." Kiba stated.

The blonde pointed at the hiate on his head. "I aced a makeup exam that Iruka gave me. And as for the new duds, I thought that it might be time for a little change since we're going to be full fledged shinobis. Can't afford to play around on the field anymore, right?"

"Hnn... At least you're finally getting how a shinobi should look and act." The voice of Uchiha Sasuke cuts in. The blonde turns around and gives the arriving last Uchiha an even look. While the two never really got along that well, Naruto did respect Sasuke for his abilities which was the reason why he was this batch's rookie of the year. "You're still a dobe though. I hope you don't get in my way if we're ever teamed up in a cell."

"That's my line Teme. I just hope YOU don't choke out there on a mission when the chips are down especially when we're on the same team." Naruto countered. "It's going to be the real thing out there and I'd hate to be the one that has to pull your ass out of the fire if you get in trouble."

Sasuke narrows his eyes at Naruto. While he was certain that he was superior in every aspect, the blonde was tough, relentless and not as unskilled as people were led to believe. Anyone who was capable of vandalizing the faces of the Hokages carved into the mountain undetected was certainly someone to be wary of.

The rest of the class watches the tense staredown in nervous silence. Even the Uchiha's infamous fanclub didn't jump in to defend their crush because even they recognized the truth in Naruto's statement.

They were shinobi now and they were expected to live with life and death for the rest of their existence. This prospect frightened many of the genin present except for Naruto and Sasuke. Both boys have been waiting for this for a long time and now that it's here, they were one step closer towards their goal.

And from the looks of things, they wanted to start off this new phase in their lives with a good old fashioned fight between them.

But before things could escalate between the two, Iruka arrives looking a little worse for wear but otherwise ok. Naruto made his way to his seat and sat back as the chunin instructor gives the class his customary speech to the graduating class before moving on to announce the team placements.

**(Later that afternoon)**

Naruto couldn't help but glare at the one eyed jonin with the gravity defying white hair in front of him on the rooftop and noticed that his new teammates were pretty much doing the same.

The reason for this was because they had to wait for three hours for Hatake Kakashi to arrive who gave them a lameass excuse for being tardy. And after bringing them to the rooftop for introductions, he dropped a bombshell that they also had to pass HIS test in order to become genin. Worst then that, he had informed them that his test had a sixty percent failure rate.

As he thought about it, Naruto believed he could've been worse off as far as team placements were concerned. As expected, he as the designated deadlast, was teamed with the rookie of the year Sasuke as per tradition. The third member of their team is Haruno Sakura. A cute, pink haired girl he had a crush on but who always seems to be preoccupied fawning over Sasuke to give him any notice.

But if they failed Kakashi's test, then there would be no Team Seven.

"The test will be at 5am tomorrow morning at Training Field 7. My suggestion to you is don't have breakfast or you'll puke. Everyone is dismissed except for Naruto." Kakashi finished. Both Sasuke and Sakura gave Naruto a look as if asking, 'what did you do now?' but nonetheless complied. As soon as he was sure that his teammates were gone, Naruto turns to Kakashi with a small smile in his face. "So... How's it going Inu San?"

Kakashi raises an eyebrow at Naruto. "How'd you know I'm Inu?" Kakashi asks, genuinely intrigued at how Naruto recognized him.

"You're the only guy I know who has a hairdo like that. Besides, you smell like him too." Naruto said cheekily, prompting the jonin to chuckle at him. Kakashi had been one of Naruto's guards while he was still in ANBU and wore the mask of Inu. Naruto liked him well enough because he was always kind and fair to him, unlike most other people.

"Still the same disrespectful brat aren't 'ya?" Kakashi stated, ruffling the blonde's hair. "But at least you passed the academy test. Now all you and your team has to do is pass mine and you're set."

"Were you serious when you said that your test has a sixty percent failure rate?" Naruto asks his old guardian.

"Dead serious." Kakashi confirms. "If you guys don't have what it takes to overcome my challenge, I...WILL...NOT...PASS...YOU. I've done it before and I'll do it again if I don't think you guys are up to my standards."

"Huh... Then I guess we'll just have to pass your stupid test now, won't we?" Naruto said confidently.

Yeah. Good luck with that though." Kakashi said with a hidden smile before switching topics and the real reason why he asked the blonde to stay. "By the way, the Sandaime told me a little secret about what you did last night which involved a certain artifact. Would you mind showing it to me?"

The blonde brings out his new ring which he kept in a pocket and showed it to the Copy Nin who took a closer look at the item. He then tells Kakashi how he got the ring in the first place.

"Yeah, ok... I'm sure the Hokage told you but I'll tell you too anyways. That's not the same ring that your father used coz it's the wrong color and symbol." Kakashi stated thoughtfully.

"You know about my father?" Naruto asks in surprise.

"Of course I do. He's my sensei after all. Why do you think I asked to be one of his son's ANBU guards?" Kakashi said with an eyesmile before turning serious. "Getting back to that ring though, I'd be careful using that. If it's anything like sensei's ring then it's a damned powerful artifact. If word gets out, then a lot of people are gonna be gunning for that ring to use for their own selfish purposes so it's important that you refrain from using it unless necessary."

Naruto looks at the ring in his hand a bit apprehensively before Kakashi closes the blonde's hand over the ring. "But I'm sure that as long as you're the one using it's power, there's nothing to worry about. Just remember why the ring chose you in the first place, ok? Well... I'll see you tomorrow bright and early." Kakashi said before disappearing in a swirl of leaves. After a while, Naruto also decides to go back home to prepare for Kakashi's test the next day.

**(Next day)**

We find the genins of Team 7 in a familiar predicament. Fuming mad while waiting for their instructor. A puff of smoke signals the arrival of the one eyed jonin.

"YOU'RE LATE!" Screeched Sakura. "You tell us to be here by 5AM and you arrive at 8AM! What kind of teacher are you?"

"Sorry, sorry... I kinda got lost on the road to life on my way here." Kakashi apologized weakly, causing the three genins to stare at him incredilously.

"That... has got to be the lamest excuse I've ever heard... Ever." Naruto stated with Sasuke grunting in agreement.

"Anyways... Let's begin shall we?" Kakashi said as he fishes out a pair of small bells from his pocket. "Your test today is real easy. You simply have to take these bells away from me."

Sasuke frowns as he stares at the bells. "You've only got two bells there." He stated.

"Good observation Sasuke." Kakashi said sarcastically. "That's because only two of you will pass the test today. The one who doesn't get a bell goes back to the academy."

"You can't do that!" Sakura objected. "We worked hard to pass the exams at the academy."

"Unfortunately for you guys, I DO have the authority to do that if I don't think you guys are ready yet." Kakashi said, tying the bells to his vest before bringing out an alarm clock and setting it. "You have untill noon to get it. Use WHATEVER means necessary to achieve your goal."

"Whatever means?" Naruto repeated doubtfully.

"Whatever means." Kakashi confirms, giving Naruto a meaningful look. "Hell. Use lethal force if you have to. Anything less WILL result in utter failure."

Kakashi then looks at the expenctant faces of his prospective students. "Now if there's no more questions, let's start. Ready? Begin!" Quick as a flash, all three genins jumps off to hide, leaving the jonin in the middle of the training field by himself.

**(Two hours later)**

"Ok, this is getting ridiculous." Naruto mutters to himself as he wrings his clothes dry. For the last couple of hours, the three genins tried everything, from attempting to roast him with Sasuke's fireball to bumrushing or blindsiding him with shadow clones to trying to catch him in traps, in order to steal the bells from Kakashi but to no avail. The jonin even got in a few shots of his own by burying Sasuke up to his neck, trapping Sakura with a genjutsu and lastly, sending him flying off to the river via an asspoke he called the '1000 Years Of Pain'.

"Kakashi's just playing with us. How the hell are we supposed to get those damned bells off him? He's a jonin, for crying out loud and..." Suddenly, realization hits him. "Sonofa... He knows we can't succeed on our own and used the bells to distract us from doing what we need to do."

Naruto then searches the surrounding forest for his team as he fishes out his ring and slips it into a finger before wearing a pair of black gloves to conceal it. "Well, he did say whatever means necessary. Time for a little payback Kakashi Sensei." Naruto said with a smile as he moves off to find Sasuke and Sakura.

**(With Kakashi)**

Kakashi was getting bored.

So far, nobody even came close to stealing the bells from him.

Not that it really mattered if somebody did because they would still fail if they didn't realize the point of the exercise.

While he had to admit that all three were quite talented in their own ways, it meant squat if they didn't learn to work with each other to achieve a goal.

As he pondered his next move, a rustling on the grounds catches his attention. Kakashi jumps back to in time to prevent a neon green steel trap which suddenly appears at his feet from clamping shut on his ankle. And as the jonin scans the area for the source of the attack, an equally bright green snake lunges from the foilage and targets the bells on his vest but fails as Kakashi neatly avoids the strike.

_"So this must be the power of that ring." _Kakashi thought to himself in amusement as he continuosly jumps over green obstructions which appears and disappears just as quickly as the first two constructs. _"Not bad. Smart move using his abilities while in the grass so nobody could see it from a distance. So he CAN be discrete when the situation calls for it." _A particularly close shave with a line of small green explosives causes a sweatdrop to form on his head. _"Discrete AND nasty."_

**(With Sasuke)**

Sasuke watched in amazement from his hiding place as Kakashi started randomly jumping around to seemingly avoid something on the grass. What was the fool up to?

"Enjoying the show teme?" Without looking, the raven haired boy knew that the voice could only belong to his blonde teammate who slips besides him to watch the proceedings. "He should get out of the grass. Who knows what sort of nasty surprises are there waiting for him."

"I don't need your help dobe. I can get a bell on my own." Sasuke said, peeved as he realized that the reason why Kakashi was jumping around like that was probably his doing.

"And that's probably what Kakashi wants you to do teme." Naruto shot back. "Think about it. He knows that a genin can't get a bell on his own against a jonin and even said that only two can pass. He's deliberately preventing us from working together which is probably the whole purpose of this test."

As Sasuke thought about what Naruto said, he realized that the blonde was right. They were being played from the very beginning and that thought infuriated him. "Alright. Supposing that what you said is true, what do we do about it?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto's smile grew. He knew he had gotten the cooperation, however grudging, of the Uchiha and for now, that was enough for them to get through this ordeal. "If I can keep him jumping like that, think you can grab those trinkets from him?" A look from Sasuke which clearly said 'who do you think I am?' was his only answer. "Right then. But we'll need more then my little surprises to distract him. Let's go find Sakura."

**(With Kakashi)**

At first, Kakashi found the distractions thrown by Naruto at him amusing.

But now they were just annoyances.

He was in no real danger and those large enough to threaten him simply moved too slow. If this keeps up, they will run out of time and fail.

"Is that all you've got? I can do this all day you know!" He shouted out, hoping to bait them into revealing themselves. He gets his wish a few moments later when Naruto can be seen running out from his hiding place and charging towards him.

_"Wait a minute. If that's Naruto, why are these things continuing to appear and try to trip me up?" _Kakashi wonders as he sidesteps a vine which tries to entangle him. As far as he can see, Naruto wasn't using his special ability and simply just charging at him head on.

He gets his answer when the charging Naruto suddenly leaps up into the air and began a series of handseals which he recognized. "Crap!" Kakashi cursed loudly as a large fireball from 'Naruto' burns the spot he stood moments earlier.

"That 'Naruto' must be Sasuke in disguise." Kakashi concluded as he slides back only to find himself on the defensive as a gang of Narutos emerges from the bushes and attacks him.

The Narutos manage to corral Kakashi to a pitfall filled area dug by Sakura was hidden. But the moment Kakashi felt the ground give way, he jumps up to a three to avoid it... Only to have a waiting Sasuke snatch the bells away befor jumping down with a smirk to his waiting teammates.

"Good work." Kakashi said as he jumps down as well. "But remember that only two of you will pass. Which ones will it be?"

"It'll still be the three of us." Naruto said firmly. "There's no way any one of us can take you on one on one and we'd have to do it as a unit. So you used the bells to try and turn us against each other. But we overcame that and worked together anyways to get the bells. That IS the point of this test, right?"

Kakashi made a show of thinking this over before giving them an eyesmile. "Correct. And for that, you ALL pass." He said cheerily watching the newly minted Team Seven savor their success before continuing. "It's been said that those who disobey the rules in this business are trash. But those who abandon their comrades are even bigger trash. You'll do well to remember that. But for now, Team Seven is in active service."

Naruto couldn't help but wonder if the fellowship of the shinobi brotherhood was similar to the fellowship between the ringbearers of the emotional spectrum and wonders where the others were.

Perspective pans out to a view of the entire Elemental Countries where six other lights shine in different locations.

Author's Notes: Chapter 2 is done. Chapter 3 will probably come sooner rather then later. Till then, R&R please.


	3. Way Of The Corps

**Chapter 3: Way Of The Corps**

Despite running as fast as her legs can take her, Ayame doubted that she'll be able to escape her pursuers for very long. But at the very least, she'll be able to buy enough time to find help.

This was the danger of being in a village full of shinobis. While there were lots of decent, law abiding ones, there were also undesireable elements who've had similar training. These rogues often used their skills in their illegal activities and their victims were usually normal civilians.

Normal civilians like Ayame.

But she was familiar enough with the ways of the shinobi from her experience with customers frequenting their stand and knew that they were still essentially human with the same vulnerabilities as any other person. They were still prone to bouts of arrogance and more importantly, could still feel pain.

One of Ayame's stalkers found that out the hard way when the ramen waitress's foot met his balls while he and his friends were gloating at how easy a target she seemed when she was confronted by used the ensuing distraction her sudden, violent retaliation had caused to slip away.

But now, her luck was quickly running out and she could practically feel her pursuers closing in. Why the hell did she have to use the alleyways to escape instead of running down the street in plain view? They could easily capture her here and nobody would ever know. Turning at the next corner, Ayame finds herself at a deadend and before she could double back, her pursuers blocks her path.

"There you are you little bitch." One of the pursuers whom Ayame recognized as the one she kicked in the balls growled. She took the opportunity to study them a little closer and judging from the hiate on their forehead but their lack of vests, he and his two buddies were genins. The bottom rung in the order of shinobis which was probably one of the reasons why she was able to avoid capture thus far but still dangerous when they had numbers on their side. "You've got nowhere else to go so now. You're gonna pay for what you did and we're gonna have a little fun with you as compensation."

"That's right." Another one chimed in. "Don't worry though coz it won't be so bad. I mean, how many chicks can claim that they got to be with a real shinobi?"

"You don't act ANYTHING like real shinobis. You're just thugs and bullies." Ayame retorted.

"Hey hey hey! Is that any way to treat shinobis who bust their ass everyday to protect your worthless lives?" The third one asks. "The least you can do is be grateful for the opportunity to show us your thanks."

"If that's the case, then she's thanking the wrong people." Another voice cuts in. The punks had to jump away to avoid a salvo of green projectiles aimed at them. Ayame and her pursuers then looks up & sees a young blonde man enveloped in a green light hovering over them w/ his arms crossed. The youngster seemed to be dressed like a typical chunin except that he had on a green outfit under a black utility vest and came with a mask which covered his entire head except for his blonde hair and green eyes. In addition, he also wore black forearm guards and had white wrappings on his thighs and ankles. "I can't stand seeing guys like you. You pricks give shinobis a bad name and don't deserve to wear those hiate."

"Y-You freak! What the hell do you know? We're shinobi! We're the law here!" The apparent leader of the group stated, though a little shaken at seeing the floating teen in green. And as if to prove his point, he throws a brace of kunai at the intruder which, much to his shock, merely bounces off the green aura surrounding the intruder.

The green suited teen shakes his head at the futile attempt at harming him. "Idiot. Being a shinobi doesn't excuse you from the law. As a matter of fact, I heard that the punishment is even worse if you commited a crime AS a shinobi."

"It's your word against ours! Besides, who's gonna stop us? You and what army?" The leader retorted, confident that their superior number gave them the advantage.

The intruder simply gave them a flat look before raising his right hand which had a glowing ring on the middle finger. Moments later, two monstrous green figures appears between the 3 genins and Ayame. One was a scary looking bipedal warthog like creature and the other one was a humanoid whose body seemed made entirely out of metal.

"Boys, meet the drill sargeants of the Corps. Lantern Kilowog and Lantern Stel." The blonde said, gesturing towards the warthog and the metal man respectively. "They'll be instructing you what sort of behavior is acceptable or not."

"Howdy poozers." The warthog rumbled, cracking his rather large knuckles ominously. The metallic man did not acknowledge the introduction but slammed his fists together which created an audible clang.

"Have fun guys." The blonde said with a hidden grin as he surrounds Ayame in a green bubble & flies off with her, pointedly ignoring the screaming that began as the two behemoths started wailing on the trio of thugs.

**(Naruto's apartment)**

The green clad individual who saves Naruto enters the apartment by phasing through the wall. A flash of green light later, the individual is revealed to be Naruto.

After dropping off a grateful Ayame at Ichiraku's, the youngster does one last sweep of Konoha before returning home. As he relaxes in his battered couch, he studies the ring on his hand and thinks back to the circumstances why he decided to operate as a vigilante in his village.

_**(Flashback)**_

_"Prepare to die old man!"_

_Naruto deftly catches a blunted and poorly thrown wooden shuriken aimed at the Sandaime. A few moments later, a young boy with a skullcap and a long scarf charges into the room with a wooden kunai then promptly trips over his scarf._

_"Hey! Who tripped me?" The kid demanded who then notices Naruto who was standing right besides him. "You were the one who tripped me didn't you? Who are you anyways?"_

_Naruto's eyebrow twitched. "Kid, you tripped over your own scarf. Who wears something like that nowadays anyway? And the name's Uzumaki Naruto. Who are YOU?"_

_"Don't you know who I am? I'm the Sandaime Hokage's grandson, Konohamaru!" He boasted. "If you apologize to me now, I won't ask my grandpa to throw you in the dungeon!"_

_Naruto turns to the Hokage whom he was speaking to earlier with a look that was asking 'Is he serious?'. The Hokage simply nods to Naruto as if deferring to his judgement._

_Naruto picks up Konohamaru by his scarf and stares at the kids' face before driving his knuckle upside his head and dropping him on his ass. "It doesn't matter if you're the grandson of the Hokage or even the daimyo himself. If you want MY respect, you gotta earn it. Ask the old man yourself if you want."_

_"How dare you lay your hands like that on the honorable grandson!" Another voice declared. Looking back, Naruto sees a scowling man wearing an all black outfit with dark, round glasses and a bandana which doubled as his hiate._

_"It's perfectly alright Ebisu. Konohamaru was at fault here and a little discipline never hurt anyone." The Hokage assured him._

_"Are you supposed to be his babysitter?" Naruto asks Ebisu._

_"How rude." The man known as Ebisu sniffled. "I am Ebisu, the tokubetsu jonin assigned as the honorable grandson's personal tutor. I am tasked with educating and preparing him for the mantle of Hokage."_

_"Is that so? Well you're not doing a very good job if you ask me." Naruto said, ignoring the venomous look Ebisu was giving him as he turns to Konohamaru. "Hokage huh? Well that would make us rivals coz that's my goal too."_

_"But if you're aiming for the top spot then remember one thing. You gotta work hard for everything you want coz if you don't, nobody's gonna acknowledge or respect you. You don't reall think your grandpa got to where he is right now by being lazy, do you?" Naruto advised, giving him a foxy grin and ruffling his head before turning to leave. "Well, see you around kid." _

_Hiruzen had to chuckle at the thoughtful look in Konohamaru's eyes. Trust Naruto to make an impression on his grandson like that. Naruto always had a knack for saying the things that needed to be said irregardless of the consequences._

_"Hmmpp... Does that ruffian really think he can become Hokage? Preposterous!" Ebisu scoffed, causing the Hokage to frown at the Tokubetsu Jonin. "You however, honorable grandson, have the pedigree. There's no need to go through so much effort for that. Just listen to what I say and you will be Hokage in no time at all."_

_"Errr... Ebisu, Konohamaru is not here anymore." The Hokage informs the man who looks around wildly and sees that his charge was indeed nowhere to be found. Ebisu quickly excuses himself and leaves to search for the youngster, leaving a chuckling Hokage behind._

_**(Meanwhile...)**_

_Konohamaru wondered where that Naruto went. He had managed to follow the blonde up to the outskirts of town but lost him when he ducked into the woods._

_Nobody ever talked to Konohamaru quite like the way Naruto did. He has always been treated with such respect and deference that it was beginning to annoy him._

_But Naruto was different. He didn't really care what your station in life was and will treat you like he sees you. And if being a brat was your choice, then a knuckle upside the head was his take on an appropriate response for it._

_It was a humbling experience and lit a fire under the young Sarutobi who wanted nothing more then Naruto's respect._

_But as he continued to search for the elusive blonde, a large shadow blocks his path. Konohamaru looks up to see who the hell was blocking his way... And screams._

_**(With Naruto)**_

_Naruto was about to start his daily training session in the woods when a scream breaks the silence. Somehow, the blonde identified the scream as one belonging to Konohamaru._

_Rushing towards the source of the disturbance, he arrives and sees a much larger then normal grizzly bear stalking a cowering Konohamaru._

_"Konohamaru!" Naruto called out as he rushes towards the bear with his hands already forming in a familiar, cross pattern. "Kage Bunshin No Jutsu!" The bear turns around, faces the five Narutos rushing towards him and with a massive swipe of one of it's monstrous paws, dispells them with one blow._

_"What the hell...?" Naruto mutters, wondering how the bear could be so strong. He gets his answer a moment later when it turns it's full attention on him though he had no way of knowing it. The bear had an Iwa hiate tied to it's left arm which indicated that he was some sort of summon. "And why does that thing have an Iwa hiate on it's arm?"_

_Instead of providing an answer, it moves with deceptive speed and knocks Naruto away towards the bushes._

_"Oww! Dammit. It's too strong." Naruto gripes as he rubs the back of his head and checks his bruised body for any injury. A war cry told Naruto that somebody else was trying their luck against the summoned bear. But a body sent crashing nearby which reveals an unconscious Ebisu indicated that he too failed in the attempt._

_"What now? If this guy who's supposed to be a tokubetsu jonin can't take on this thing, what the hell can I do?" Naruto wonders in panic as the bear continued stalking Konohamaru before remembering his new ring. He fishes it out of a pocket and studies it for a moment before slipping it on. "Guess I have no choice. One little detail before I do this though..."_

_**(With Konohamaru)**_

_This was it. Konohamaru was sure that he was going to die._

_The bear which loomed over him had already beaten back both Naruto and Ebisu and was now advancing towards him. It's open, drooling mouth an indication of what it's intentions were._

_But before it could do anything, a green blur rockets out of the bushes with a wild cry and bodily tackles the bear. Konohamaru uses the opportunity to scamper away and hide himself while watching the battle._

_The bear easily throws off the attacker which Konohamaru saw as a blonde haired masked man who wore the typical konoha shinobi uniform whose color schemes are reversed. _

_The masked man quickly gets back up to his feet and, much to Konohamaru's surprise, avoids the bear's attack by floating up into the air encased in a green bubble. The boy was further surprised when a virtual arsenal of green weapons appears around the floating man pointed at the bear._

_"Stupid bear. Don't make me hurt you." The man said, launching one of the weapons at the ground in front of it to try and scare it away. But the rabid summoned bear either didn't understand what he said or simply didn't care and stood on it's hind legs roaring angrily before charging at the floating man._

_The man sighs in resignation. "If you're gonna be that way, then I'm afraid I have no choice but to put you down so that you can't hurt anyone else." And with that, he launches the weapons at the bear. But instead of dropping down and dying, the impaled summoned bear dispells and disappears in a puff of smoke._

_"What the hell was that thing anyways?" The green/black suited savior wonders loudly before looking over to where Konohamaru was. "Oi! You there! It's safe to come out."_

_Konohamaru warily comes out as the strange man somehow uses a green beam from his ring to retrieve the unconscious Ebisu and places him besides Konohamaru. _

_"Ring. Scan for injuries." The man instructed. Both the Hokage's grandson and his instructor are momentarily bathed in a green light from the ring before a voice responded. "Minimal cerebral damage detected on larger organic lifeform. No damage detected on smaller organic lifeform."_

_The man nods his satisfaction before looking at Konohamaru. "Your friend here will just be just be suffering from one hell of a headache when he wakes up. Stay with him till help arrives." He instructed as he starts to leave._

_"W-Wait!" Konohamaru calls out. "I still have a friend named Naruto who got hurt protecting me out there. Can you please find him?"_

_The man pauses momentarily before answering. "Yeah I saw him. Don't worry coz he's tougher then he looks and should be here in a bit."_

_"When can I see you again?" Konohamaru asks. "I don't even know your name."_

_"Don't worry kid. You'll be seeing more of me around." The man said as he rose up into the air. "As for who I am. You can call me the Green Lantern."_

_**(Flashback Ends)**_

After that, Naruto had landed somewhere nearby and stumbled back into the clearing pretending to be hurt and helped Konohamaru carry Ebisu back to town. And all the while, Konohamaru was raving about the Green Lantern guy who saved them from the bear.

After dropping off Ebisu at the Hospital and taking Konohamaru home, Naruto reported the incident to the Hokage who informed him that the bear was a summoned creature and that it was amazing how he managed to defeat such a powerful creature.

Realizing that there were also many dangers within his own village that even the shinobi force are not able to address, Naruto also informs the Hokage that he will be using his powers to help those in need under a disguise which, at first, the old leader is reluctant to agree. But after explaining that he will not be undermining the authority of the shinobi force, Sarutobi agrees so long as it does not interfere with his regular duty.

This was the beginning of his long and arduous journey as a hero. Apart from his regular training as a shinobi, he also taught himself how to better use his ring and learned how to fight with and without it.

At first, it was difficult trying to balance his career as a shinobi by day and a hero/vigilante at night. So much so that the Hokage had noticed and ordered him to cut back on his nocturnal activities. But his hard work eventually paid off and the villagers started talking favorably about the mysterious Green Lantern who patrolled their village at night and kept it safe.

But there were also elements who didn't appreciate what he did such as a portion of the shinobi populace. They thought Green Lantern was just some hotshot glory hound looking for attention which hurt him. All he wanted to do was help out and this is how they repay him?

"What's important is the village is kept safe. Nothing else matters." Naruto said, looking at his ring before going to bed.

Tomorrow is going to be another day.

**(The Next Day)**

"Good work Team Seven." The Hokage said watching Madame Shinji squeeze her runaway cat Tora like a plushie with a sweatdrop. Though this time, the cat seemed oddly subdued, even scared. "This is a new record for catching Tora."

"Aww…. It was nothing Jiisan. I don't think you'll be having problems with her for a while." Naruto said with a wide grin. He didn't bother telling the Hokage that he might have used the power of his ring to conjure up an entire pack of green rabid hunting dogs to chase the terrified cat all around town and into the waiting arms of Sakura.

"Uh huh…. I see." Truth be told, Sarutobi didn't really want to know how the blonde did it. But so long as it kept the blasted feline out of trouble for a while, he was willing to overlook certain things. "Now then…. What would you like your next job to be? Painting a fence? Doing groceries? Walking the dogs?"

"What? With all due respect Jiisan but what we've been doing these past few months are nothing more than chores." Give us something where we can actually use what we learned in the Academy!" Even though they were appalled by how Naruto was practically demanding a higher class job, Naruto's teammates knew he was right. These jobs were certainly nothing more then chores and were a terrible waste of their skills.

"Naruto! These missions are important as well! These missions help improve your teamwork and strengthen the bonds in the team." Iruka, who had been assigned that day as the Hokage's assistant, reprimanded his former student. But before he could say anything else, the Hokage stops him.

"It's alright Iruka. They do have a point there. These missions tend to get boring after a while." The Hokage said before looking at Kakashi., "Do you believe they're ready for a higher class job?" He asks Team Seven's jonin sensei.

"They've improved quite a bit these past few months. It'll be alright." Kakashi stated.

"Very well then. I have just the mission for you." The Hokage said, tossing a scroll at Kakashi. "A C class escort mission."

"Yatta! Finally a higher class mission!" Naruto cheers.

"And your client will be…. This man." The Hokage said, gesturing towards the door. An obviously drunk old man staggers into the room, looks at Team Seven, and takes a swig out of le he carried.

"Are these supposed to be the guys who'll protect me?" They're just little kids! Especially that stupid looking blonde kid. He doesn't look like he'll last a day." The old man griped.

Before Naruto could snap back a response, Kakashi beats him to it. "Don't worry sir. They may not look like it but they're quite capable in their own right. And if anything becomes too much for them to handle, you've got me, a jonin, to take care of the problem.

"Hmpp…. Fine." The old drunk relented. "I'm the famous super bridge builder Tazuna. And I expect you to protect me with your lives till I get home t Wave Country."

One thing ran through the minds of each and every member of Team Seven.

What have they gotten themselves into?

Author's Notes: Chappie's done. As usual, R&R pls.


	4. Gone With The Waves

**Chapter 4: Gone With The Waves**

The next day, we see Sasuke and Sakura waiting for Kakashi, their client Tazuna and their Naruto at the main gate.

Their jonin instructor being late was nothing new to the pinkette and the raven haired boy, but their blonde being tardy was something new. Not that Sakura minded terribly since she got to spend more time alone with Sasuke even though he wasn't being very sociable.

But it was still a little strange for Naruto not to be here waiting for Kakashi with them. Maybe he wised up and decided that since Kakashi doesn't really come on time, it's all right for him to be late too?

"Yo! Sorry I'm late. Had to take the scenic route because a black cat crossed my path." Kakashi greeted as he appears in a puff of smoke.

"Same old Kakashi Sensei. Same lameass excuse." Sasuke scoffs. "But at least you're not the last person to arrive."

"Eh?" Kakashi blinks in confusion before looking around. "Hmm... You're right. Where's Naruto and the client?"

"Right here." Naruto answered as he walks up towards his team behind Tazuna whom he was nudging along every once in a while. "And before you guys chew me out, I've got a perfectly valid excuse why I'm as late as I am."

Ignoring the glare that the old bridgebuilder was giving him, Naruto jerks a thumb at Tazuna and explains. "I found this guy dead drunk and passed out in the middle of the street this morning. So I took him back home and gave him something for his hangover so we don't have to lug his drunk ass all the way to Wave country."

Kakashi raises an eyebrow at this. "What exactly did you give him?" He asks cautiously.

"The old family remedy Kakashi Sensei." Naruto answers. "You know... The green stuff. I also figured you don't want him smelling like a cheap bar while we travelled so I hosed him down first before we left."

Kakashi nods in understanding. Naruto must've somehow used his ring's powers to purge the alcohol from the client's system and at the same time, cleaned him up so they wouldn't have to put up with any unpleasant smell while they travelled. "Good work Naruto."

"I've got a complaint to make." Tazuna growled to Kakashi. "What the hell did that kid do to me to make me stone cold sober? I haven't been THIS sober since... Forever."

"And how is being sober a bad thing?" Sakura asks out loud. But Tazuna wasn't done with his rant.

"And when the kid said he hosed me down, he wasn't kidding! He really DID turn the hose on me. Is that how you treat clients?" Tazuna asks.

"Hey! You were lying on your own piss, puke and kami knows what else all night! You don't really expect us to put up with your filth this whole trip, do you?" Naruto defended himself.

Sasuke wrinkles his nose in disgust. "Ok. Now I'm glad that the dobe was late with the client."

"That's not the point here!" Tazuna exclaimed.

"Mah mah... It's part of our service to you Tazuna San." Kakashi stated, hoping to placate the client. "We'll get you home safely and smelling like a rose, ok?"

Realizing that he wasn't going to get anywhere with his complaint, the old bridgebuilder sighs in resignation and said. "Whatever. Just get me home in one piece."

"Can do." Kakashi said cheerfully before turning to the genins. "Team Seven, move out."

**(A few hours later...)**

Naruto had a bad feeling about this mission.

It wasn't because it was his first official mission outside Konoha. It was because that for such a simple escort mission, the client looked very nervous about something and that meant that he wasn't telling the whole story.

Fortunately, he had used his ring to create a passive scanning field within a hundred meter radius around the traveling party to alert them of any threats beforehand.

And right now, his ring was mentally informing him that something was amiss.

"Kakashi Sensei. Mind if I take a leak for a bit? I'll catch up with you as soon as I'm done." Naruto said.

"Baka!" Sakura growls, slapping the blonde upside the head. "You shouldn't say such things when there's a lady around."

"I'm sorry Sakura Chan but I really DO need to go." Naruto said.

"Fine Naruto. Go do whatever you need to do." Kakashi said, taking note of the serious urgency in the blonde's voice. "Just don't take too long, ok?"

"You got it sensei." Naruto said with a salute before ducking into the bushes. As soon as he was certain that his team had gone on ahead, he slips on his ring and changes into his GL uniform before flying off towards the source of the disturbance that his ring detected.

Meanwhile, the rest of Team Seven as well as their client were making their way down the road at a slow and leisurely pace. But somehow, they failed to notice a puddle of water in the middle of the road which was actually the infamous Demon Brothers of Kiri in disguise just waiting to ambush the party from Konoha.

All of a sudden, they find themselves trapped in a green bubble and suspended in mid-air.

"The puddle on the road was a nice disguise boys. Problem is that it's such a nice day and there's no raincloud in sight." The brothers looks towards a speaker and sees a young man in green and black floating in the air. The bubble they were trapped in seemed to emanate from the ring the young man had on his finger.

"Let us out of here boy! Let us out of here or else!" The older brother threatened.

"Or else what?" A voice spoke just behind the two rogue chunins. They look back and sees the one eyed jonin, the two genins and the old man staring right back at them. "Well what do we have here? What are two rogue Mist nins doing trying to ambush me and my team?"

"We ain't sayin' a damned thing." The younger brother growls in defiance.

"You don't have to. I think I may already have an idea why you're here." Kakashi stated, glancing at a distinctly uncomfortable Tazuna before looking at Green Lantern whom he knew was Naruto in disguise. "Thanks for the assistance by the way Green Lantern San."

"No problem Kakashi San." Green Lantern replied. "I was just in the neighborhood when I came across these creeps. And since they're not feeling too talkative right now, maybe they'll feel more cooperative after spending time with Ibiki San?"

Kakashi shrugs at this. "That's the only thing we CAN do. Ibiki San IS the one in charge of turning over missing nins to their home village's respective authorities for their bounties... Right after he picks their brains for information, of course."

"We already told you we won't talk!" The older Demon Brother reiterated as he and his sibling tried to slash out of the energy bubble with their claws.

"Save your energies boys. You're not getting out of that bubble no matter how hard you try." Green Lantern said. "It would've been easier for you to tell Kakashi San here what you know but you insisted on being stubborn. Now you're gonna be having a session with Ibiki and THAT is something you'll regret for the rest of your lives."

"Get us out of here!" The Demon Brothers screamed as they desperately started struggling harder to get themselves free when they realized that their hope for escape was quickly fading but to no avail.

"I think you guys should take a nap while you can." Green Lantern said as he sends a powerful surge of electricity inside the bubble which shocks the rogue chunins into blessed unconsciouness. "After all, you're not going to be getting much sleep where you're going."

"I'll be leaving those two in your custody then, Green Lantern San." Kakashi said.

"No problem. Nice to see you again Kakashi San. Take care on your mission." Green Lantern said as he flew off with his captives.

"You never told us you knew Green Lantern personally Kakashi Sensei." Sakura said. Like many genins in her age group, she was intrigued by the mysterious masked man and seeing him in action was a unique experience.

"Oh yeah, I've met him a couple of times." Kakashi smoothly lied. "He's actually a pretty nice guy and has been very helpful maintaining peace and order in Konoha."

"He doesn't seem all that intimidating. But then again, he DID beat those two missing nins by himself so he's much stronger then he looks." Sasuke comments gruffly, peeved at not being able to test himself against the missing nin brothers.

"The Demon Brothers are no pushovers and can give even a jonin a run for his money. But Green Lantern took them down without breaking a sweat." Kakashi said. "That should tell you how strong he is."

Kakashi then turns towards Tazuna. "And on that note, you and I need to have a little chat, Tazuna San."

Ten minutes later, Naruto can be seen running down the road towards his teammates. "Sorry I took too long guys." The blonde apologized."Did anything happen while I was gone?"

"Where have you been dobe?" Sasuke asked irritably. "We were almost attacked by a pair of missing nins from Kiri."

"Almost?" Naruto asks in confusion.

"The Green Lantern of Konoha captured the Demon Brothers before they could get the drop on us and took them back to Konoha." Sakura explained. "You actually just missed him."

"Well it doesn't really matter because we might be going back ourselves." Kakashi said as he walks back towards his students with a glum looking Tazuna.

"Is there something wrong?" Naruto asks.

"It appears that our client lied to us." Kakashi said, looking at Tazuna. "Tazuna San here neglected to tell us that somebody influential back in Wave Country has hired people to eliminate him. If this influential person was able to hire the Demon Brothers, who knows who else is in his payroll. So this C Class mission will be upgraded to a high B or even A Class because of the potential risk factor and we might have to scrap it."

The genins were aware how dangerous B and A Class missions were. As one, they turn their gazes to Tazuna who looked uncomfortable under their scrutiny.

"So why did you lie about the mission Tazuna San?" Sakura asks, crossing her arms across her chest.

"I didn't have a choice! The fee for a C Class mission is the only thing my country can afford!" Tazuna defended himself. "I was going to ask you to protect my construction project when we get there."

"If you've been lying to us about this mission, then who knows what else you've been lying to us about. Give us one good reason why we shouldn't leave you here." Sasuke said coldly.

"P-Please. My project in Wave Country badly needs protection and you're the only one who can do it!" Tazuna pleaded.

"Now listen here old man. Just because we're shinobi doesn't mean we can solve all your problems just like that." Naruto growls, losing patience with Tazuna's whinings. "If this guy is able to hire anybody to kill you, then me and my team are screwed if he has a high ranking missing nin as his assassin. And that's assuming he only has one in his payroll."

Tazuna looked terrified at the prospect. But before he can speak, Kakashi cuts in. "Forgive the bluntness of my team but they ARE right. The odds of a mission's success is much better if you select the correct team for the task. But by lying about your predicament, you've significantly lowered your own chances of survival because, frankly speaking, my team is unprepared for the dangers of a high class mission."

"I really am sorry for lying to you." Tazuna said miserably. "But the bridge I'm building is our last hope. Gatou controls almost all the money making ventures in and around Wave Country, leaving us with very little else. If I can finish this bridge, it will provide us with much needed income we need to feed our families and survive."

"And that's exactly what Gatou doesn't want to happen." Kakashi surmised with a thoughtful look.

"While we can sympathize with your plight Tazuna San, we're just three genins and a jonin." Sakura said. "Who knows what sort of opposition we might face when we get there."

"Besides that, how do we know he's telling the truth now? For all we know, we might find ourselves in the middle of a blood feud or a vendetta" Sasuke opined.

"Please. You have to believe me." Tazuna pleaded.

"It's your call Kakashi Sensei. We'll go along with whatever you say." Naruto said to the one eyed jonin who mulls things over before coming to a decision.

"Against my better judgement, we'll continue with our original mission of escorting Tazuna to his country since we're already all the way out here." Kakashi said. "We'll decide our next step when we get to Wave Country based on the situation there."

"Oh thank you so much for this." Tazuna sais. "You don't know what this means to me and my country."

"Don't thank us yet." Kakashi cautioned the old bridgebuilder. "We're only just doing the mission we were originally assigned for now and have no obligation to assist you once you're safely home. Like I said, we'll decide our next course of action based the situation in Wave Country."

The one eyed jonin then turns to his students. "We'll have to double time it to Wave Country because who knows who else this Gato guy might send after us. Let's move." Kakashi instructed before moving off, followed by his team and Tazuna.

The night passed with relatively no problems except for an isolated incident where Sasuke had thrown a kunai at a bush where, upon investigation, a shivering white rabbit was found.

To Tazuna, the dark haired boy's actions showed him just how dangerously jumpy shinobis can be. But to Kakashi and Team Seven, the white rabbit meant that they were still being shadowed because of the fact that the animal had the wrong color of coat, seemed tamed and the knowledge that beasts like this were often used in subsitution techniques. This prompted the group to break camp earlier then usual, much to Tazuna's dissatisfaction.

For his part, Naruto was berating himself for not having the foresight of recharging his ring before they camped out for the night because he knew he wouldn't get another opportunity without arousing suspicion from his teammates till after they arrived in Wave Country.

But then again, it was an excellent opportunity to see how far he has gone in his training to fight without his power ring. It just wouldn't do to grow reliant on it's powers all the time.

A brief boatride later and the party were now within Wave Country territory. Even from the boat, they could see the bridge that Tazuna was building and they had to admit that it looked remarkable. And the closer they got to it, the more impressive it seemed to be.

"Gotta admit Tazuna San. That's some bridge you're building there." Naruto said, whistling appreciatively at the sight of the unfinished great bridge. "Gatou has a right to be scared because once that bad boy is built, all sorts of business are gonna come in from the mainland. And once that happens, you'd have enough money to hire some legitimate protection instead of the overpriced, shoddy service that you've been forced to put up with."

"That's exactly what we're hoping for." Tazuna said, impressed at the blonde's accurate assesment of the situation.

"Still doesn't mean what you did was right though." Naruto added. "You must've had a little too much to drink when you thought that a genin team could handle a mission with chunin and potentially jonin level threats."

"I already said I didn't have a choice didn't I?" Tazuna mutters.

"Mah mah. Let's just wait till we get to Tazuna's village before we discuss any further business and... Everyone duck!" Kakashi had started to say before shouting out a warning.

The genins and Tazuna did as they were told and no sooner then they did, a whirling shadow passes over their head and embeds itself on a tree trunk. The party from Konoha looks up and sees that the object which was embedded on a nearby tree was a large zanbatou. And standing on the handle of the great sword was a tall, well-built figure who wore camou pants and had the lower part of his face wrapped in bandages. On his head, he wore the hiate of the Hidden Mist Village.

"Well well... It seems like I hit the jackpot today." The figure said, looking at the Konoha nins and Tazuna. "Hand over the old man and their won't be any trouble."

"Great. Of all the people that Gatou has to hire to go after Tazuna, it has to be Momochi Zabuza." Kakashi mutters.

"You know this freak Kakashi Sensei?" Sasuke asks, never taking his eyes off the Mist Nin.

"Yes. Momochi Zabuza's a former member of the Swordsmen Of The Mist whose nickname is the 'Demon Of The Hidden Mist'. I say former because he tried to stage a coup against the Mizukage but failed and escaped." Kakashi supplied.

The identified Zabuza shrugs his shoulders nonchalantly. "I'll succeed in my plans eventually. And don't think I don't know about you Hatake Kakashi. You're also pretty well known too."

"Why thank you. I don't suppose I can convince you to let us go?" Kakashi asks.

"Of course not. It'd be bad for my rep if I let my target go. Shall we begin?" Zabuza said before making a one handed seal. "This is one of the finest from my village. Kirigakure No Jutsu."

Instantly, the area was engulfed in a thick mist, making it hard to see anybody even just a couple of feet away. "So many fatal points to choose from. Heart, brain, liver, spleen, kidney... Which shall I strike." Zabuza's voice came out of the mist with a chuckle.

"Nothing if I have anything to say about it." Kakashi said, raising the left part of his hiate and opened his left eye which, much to his genin's surprise, had a Sharingan eye.

"What an honor. Bringing out the big guns this early Kakashi? But it still won't help you." Zabuza said through the mist.

_"The Sharingan? How could Kakashi have my family's doujutsu?" _Sasuke thought to himself in confusion.

Kakashi turns to his students and eyesmiles. "Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you. Sit tight and guard Tazuna. I'll be back in a bit." Kakashi said before disappearing into the mist.

Team Seven draws their weapons and tightens their formation around Tazuna as they listened to the clash between their team leader and the rogue nin since they couldn't see anything. After a few minutes, the mist clears and, much to the genin's dismay, they see Kakashi trapped within a bubble of water held by Zabuza.

"Suirou No Jutsu. Heh... Guess your Sharingan wasn't much help after all, eh Kakashi?" Zabuza sneered.

"Tsk. Got too careless." Kakashi muttered as he struggled to get free.

"Oh no. He's got Kakashi Sensei." Sakura exclaimed. "We need to get away. What do we do if he attacks us?"

"Calm down. He'll still attack us even if we DO run away." Sasuke said as he looks at Zabuza intently. "Judging from the way he's holding that bubble, he needs to have contact with it in order to maintain the jutsu so we're safe for the moment."

"Sasuke's right Sakura." Naruto said as he also studies the scene. "Kakashi Sensei's not that easy to kill so we have time to think of a way to get him out of there."

"Against a missing nin like HIM?" Sakura asks incredulously.

"Why not?" Sasuke said with a shrug of his shoulders. "All we need to do is get his hands off that bubble and when Kakashi gets out, he can take care of the rest. Me and the dobe can do it while you guard Tazuna."

"Hold it! Don't tell me you guys seriously intend to fight a killer like him?" Tazuna asks fearfully. "You'll get killed!"

Naruto gives the old man a look. "You DID tell us to protect you with our lives and we're doing just that even though we're within our rights to just leave you high and dry for lying to us. Besides, we Konoha nins stick together even if we don't always get along." That effectively shuts Tazuna up as Naruto turns his attention back to his two teammates and asks. "So what's the plan?"

"I think a little misdirection is needed here if we wanna free Kakashi." Sasuke said. "This guy is a jonin so we obviously can't outfight or outmuscle him."

"Leave the misdirection to me." Naruto said, cracking his knuckles. "I'm real good with that after all."

Meanwhile, Zabuza was observing the genins out of the corner of his eye. "Hmm…. The brats are up to something. Can't have them messing things up." Zabuza mutters before creating a Mizu Bunshin and ordering it to attack.

Naruto notices the attacking clone. "Incoming guys!" He yells out a warning as he charges out with a number of his own shadow clones to intercept the threat. Following closely behind was Sasuke as he starts forming seals.

The charging Narutos swarms the Zabuza clone who simply swing his zanbatou and disperses the clones. But Sasuke uses the smoke from the destruction of the Kage Bunshins as cover as he finishes his seals for his favorite technique.

"Katon: Goukakyu No Jutsu!" The large fireball destroys the Mizu Bunshin, giving the real Naruto a clear path to the still pre-occupied Zabuza.

"Not bad." Zabuza said as he casually blocks a kick from Naruto with one arm before slugging the blonde with the same hand. "But not good enough."

But Naruto was relentless. Recovering quickly from the hit to the head, he tries to punch the missing nin in the groin which was also blocked. But the low blow was just a feint as Naruto suddenly springs up and cracks Zabuza on the jaw with a jumping knee strike.

Angered at being caught off guard, Zabuza uses his superior strength to throw off the blonde and send him hurtling back at his teammate. But Naruto reacts quickly and fishes a folded fuhma shuriken from his pack. "Sasuke! Catch!" Naruto yells, throwing the weapon at Sasuke who smiles darkly as he catches it.

"I see." He mutters as he grabs a fistful of shurikens with his other hand. He then tosses the fistful of shurikens at Zabuza who simply ducks. The last Uchiha then throws the fuhma shuriken which Zabuza also dodges by jumping.

But the fuhma shuriken turns out to be Naruto in disguise who tosses a brace of kunais at Zabuza. The missing nin is forced to take his hands off the bubble to block the projectiles from hitting his vitals.

"How disgraceful being tricked by these brats." Zabuza gritted as he pulled off the shuriken embedded on his arms before looking at a slowly recovering Kakashi. "But Kakashi should be quite weak by now."

Meanwhile, Kakashi was praising his students for their work. "You guys did good getting me out of Zabuza's jutsu. You can leave the rest to me." He said, his eyes turning flinty. "I've got a bone to pick with him."

What followed next was nothing short of amazing.

Unleashing the full power of his Copy Ninjutsu, he easily matches Zabuza jutsu for jutsu and looks as if he was reading the swordsman's mind which angers the missing nin. So distracted was Zabuza by Kakashi imitating him every step of the way that he loses concentration in the middle of forming his seals for his jutsu and gets hammered by a similar jutsu from Kakashi.

But before Zabuza is killed by Kakashi, a needle from a Mist hunter takes his life instead. And after taking the group, the Mist hunter nin disappears with Zabuza's body.

As Kakashi takes another step, he suddenly collapses.

"Ughh…. Seems like I used up too much chakra in that fight." Kakashi mutters as the world goes dark for him.

The last thing he hears before he loses consciousness is his students crying out his name in concern.

Author's Notes: Ughh…. The end wasn't really all that great. Hope you enjoy it though. R&R pls.


End file.
